On 12 November, Bollywood actor Asif Basra was found dead at a private guest house in Himachal Pradesh's Dharamshala, reported news agency ANI. In a career spanning over two decades, Basra played several roles. Some small, some big - but all memorable in their own way. Here's a look at some of his most notable performances that will keep him alive long after he's gone.
1. Jab We Met (2007)
In Imtiaz Ali's Jab We Met, Asif Basra played a brief but memorable role. Jab We Met stars Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor, who play Geet and Aditya Kashyap respectively. An unexpected interaction on the train binds their lives together in curious ways.
Jab We Met is streaming on Netflix.
2. Kai Po Che! (2013)
Adapted from Chetan Bhagat's novel, Abhishek Kapoor's Kai Po Che! was the story of three friends as they come together to pursue their dream in the face of challenges that life throws at them. In a film filled with Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkummar Rao and Amit Sadh's onscreen charm, Asif Basra played a humble but significant character. He essayed the role of Nasir, the father of a local cricket prodigy Ali. Basra's Nasir played an important role in portraying the nuances of communal tension that still exists in India.
Kai Po Che! is streaming on Netflix.
Krrish 3 (2013)
In the third instalment of the Hrithik Roshan-starrer superhero film franchise, Krrish 3, Asif Basra plays the role of Dr Alok Sen. Basra's character is a scientist in possession of some key information about the virus and its antidote. Unfortunately, he falls prey to Kaya (Kangana Ranaut). Krrish 3 is directed by Rakesh Roshan and also stars Vivek Oberoi and Priyanka Chopra.
Krrish 3 is available to stream on YouTube.
Paatal Lok (2020)
Perhaps Asif Basra's most recent work, Paatal Lok dropped on Amazon Prime Video in May 2020. The crime thriller series follows a cop as he finds himself in the midst of an assassination gone wrong. Asif Basra plays the role of Jai Malik in the show. Paatal Lok also stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Gul Panag, Neeraj Kabi, and Abhishek Benerjee.
Paatal Lok is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Hichki (2018)
Siddharth P. Malhotra's Hichki stars Rani Mukerji in the lead as an aspiring teacher having Tourette syndrome. Asif Basra plays the character of Shyamlal, a peon in the school where Mukerji's Naina teaches. He is used as a pawn to deliberately make Naina's efforts go to waste. Hichki is based on the book Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me The Teacher I Never Had by Brad Cohen and Lisa Wysocky.
Hichki is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
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